This invention relates to a self-lubricated solid material provided with a solid lubricant embedded in a sliding surface of a matrix, and particularly to a self-lubricated solid material effective in sliding movements in one direction as well as in another direction normal thereto.
Self-lubricated solid materials have hitherto been provided with a solid lubricant, such as graphite or molybdenum disulfide, embedded in lubricating surfaces (sliding surfaces) of metallic materials of various kinds of bearing metals. Lubricating film of a solid lubricant, such as graphite, is different from that of a liquid lubricant, such as lube oil, in that it has no fluidity so that once the film has been worn and broken out the film can not be self-recovered, and it has, therefore, been accomplished that the lubricating film should not be worn and broken out for a long time. In conventional self-lubricated solid materials of this kind, however, there has not been provided a good lubricity in either of one direction and another direction normal thereto.